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Thanks scubed. I'll have to look again to see if I want any from this show, but I will definitely keep that in mind for future events. I've bought from them in the past, but even then was not really thrilled because they made me buy 3 photos; there was no way to just buy one. And deltawave, I was just reading quickly so perhaps I was put off by the language and need to read more thoroughly. From what people say here they have supported our sport for a long time so I don't want to say something that is not actually fact. Apologies if I seemed to.

Ugh--so bummed, for some reason they missed me in their pics. They had the riders numbers just before me on xc and then . . . the pics switched to stadium. Looks like they did a really nice job with everyone's photos!

slp, I'm in the same boat! What number were you? Things seem to have been in order initially, and then they started skipping around, so I haven't given up hope yet. Their photos are really good quality.

She put up a message that says all photos taken Saturday have been uploaded. Unfortunately, it does look like she moved from XC up to stadium for a bit before returning back to XC that day. Browsing through the photos - it seems she stopped on XC shortly into the Novice Senior Rider A division - 3 riders before I went! I was really looking forward to getting some nice XC photos - the ones she has of other riders up are really good! Oh well. I know that she took some of my horse and I during Stadium warm-up on Sunday at least (I saw her taking pictures and stopped to talk with her). Just hoping those are lovely too

Jumpsnake and Guts N'Glory--yes, I was in Senior Novice A too. Looks like most of our division was not photographed. Too bad--I really liked the pics she took of others. Today I paid my $25 to see my xpress foto pics in something besides microscopic thumbnail size.

I know the photographer and she does have a day job. However, she'd like to do more photography and leave her desk behind! Since she is the only one taking pictures, she can't get everyone and likes to wander around to see which jumps photograph best and catch people she knows or others who ask specifically to be shot at a particular fence. I think she's only got Starter XC left to process and post - then she said she would go through them all and index them so you can search by name or pinny number. I think she plans to be at Team Challenge, too.

She doesn't advertise since it is only a part-time thing for now, and isn't sure how show management feels about having a free-lance photographer working the show. I know she tries to stay away from jumps where the 'official' photographers are and also shoots warm-up and candids, trying not to encroach on their territory. She definitely doesn't want to step on any toes.

Every one of them had that look of a girl infatuated with horses, the happy, fated look of a passenger setting sail on the Titanic.

I for one am very disappointed she didn't get any of me-- her photos are awesome! Would she be upset if you pm'd me her email? (Or is it on the website?) I'd love to request photos if next year she is at the same events!!

I for one am very disappointed she didn't get any of me-- her photos are awesome! Would she be upset if you pm'd me her email? (Or is it on the website?) I'd love to request photos if next year she is at the same events!!

Ditto on the email to request photos at some events next year! I know she was on her own and could only do so much, but her photos really are lovely! She got a few of me in Stadium warm-up/candids, but nothing over fences this time. I was waiting to see, as there are 2-3 gallop photos from Flying Cross I contemplated buying, but wanted to include everything in one order if she got anything good at Jump Start. I'd love to request some XC photos next year when we move up

Please let her know she has a growing fan base, kristinq! And I applaud her for her morality - photographing different fences/warm-up/candids and not overtly advertising. Not to mention that in doing so, she gave a lot of us competitors more options. It was nice to see that she moved around on course and didn't just shoot the same fence rider after rider. She seems like a very nice woman and she has a great talent - I think the possibility of leaving the deskjob behind could definitely be in her future.

Thanks!

Thanks so much for posting the link to this photographer. She is very talented and I hope she shoots more at the KHP! I'm thrilled to have two photographers to buy from now. VW Perry photos has always had nice photos and great customer service and now this photographer makes purchasing very easy. It is much appreciated!

KY HT photog

Hi folks, Jeffrey with Xpress Foto.

First off, what this person is doing is very unprofessional and dishonest. Sneaking around at shows that we have to pay vendors fees to the show and the horse park, show proof of insurance, pay taxes on the income and pay all our help is just very wrong. In our industry, that is known as scabbing and can result in a person being refused entrance to the show grounds or ejected if there. In one instance, it lead to arrest for trespassing.

Second, to clear up some misperceptions in this thread:

@Jumpsnake

-pertaining to the prepayment, it is to view ALL the images for that particular horse for two weeks, not just one image as you stated. That amount is then put towards an order for that horse from that show. Several quick reasons for the prepayment. Folks were stealing images from online, linking to galleries for sale horses, and training from them with the trainer then never purchasing. Basically we got fed up with being a free public service and being stolen from. It takes a lot to this business.
-the options to purchase print and digital images. We offer both and varying print sizes, with or without websized versions (which are the non-printable), individual websized and full sized image files and CDs of all the images we get from the weekend for personal use. We offer a pre-show discount on the CD, a higher price at the show, and higher yet after as with each step, the work to fulfill the order increases.

Not sure how we forced you to purchase 3 prints.... We try not to be hi pressure sales. That is why the self operated viewing stations are available all weekend for free to come view at the show. You but have to come in, click on your number and view your images. The only thing slowing you down may be that all 10 stations may be full and you have to wait for an open station.

We have pro riders that ride 5+ horses that come in and are able to put in their orders at the show. We find it very difficult to believe that folks cannot find the time in the entire weekend to take 5 minutes to check them out at the show.

To load the images online after a show requires even more time and effort, exposes us to theft, and the other issues, and the return for that was practically nil prior to the prepayment requirement. The thumbnails was a compromise between putting everything up and getting ripped off, or not putting anything online.

Hopefully I have explained our thoughts on this and cleared up some misconceptions without offending anyone. We do the best we are able to do. We just need folks to understand that this is our business and it has been hit hard by a lot of factors, one being all the "unofficial photographers" that think it is Ok to do what they do, that have made it not a very good business to be in any longer.

We have decided to no longer to do the Florida circuit this year, and we have cut several show throughout the rest of our area as they were not profitable enough to continue to do.

There may come a time when only these one person bands are all that there is at shows (with obviously limited coverage) or none at all. Many equine photographers have stopped doing shows because of these issues and have found other things to do that do not have these issues.

Thank you for letting me get this out, I covered a range of topics, and for your patience in reading my wall of words if you made this far.

Have a great ride and a boring, uneventful trip to and from the shows. (no blown tires etc....)

Many thanks to those of you who like my pictures, I appreciate the support.

However, I have been made aware that I have crossed a professional and ethical line by selling my pictures of the Jump Start HT while not being an official vendor of the event. Due to this, I have removed the photos from my website and they will no longer be available for purchase.

I was not aware of the system in place to manage the number of photographers at events, and did not intend to be unprofessional, dishonest, sneaky, or a scab.

My sincere apologies to the official photographers of the event, and to those of you who wished to purchase my photos. I plan to pursue official routes for future events; I hope to see you there.

Well all I know is that none of the photogs, scab or non-scab, got any good pictures, or any pictures at ALL of my daughter, riding in her first HT at the Horse Park and absolutely thrilled with her 3rd place finish in BN Jr. division! I am that kind of mom who would buy the whole CD if they were there, so too bad on them!

Many thanks to those of you who like my pictures, I appreciate the support.

However, I have been made aware that I have crossed a professional and ethical line by selling my pictures of the Jump Start HT while not being an official vendor of the event. Due to this, I have removed the photos from my website and they will no longer be available for purchase.

I was not aware of the system in place to manage the number of photographers at events, and did not intend to be unprofessional, dishonest, sneaky, or a scab.

My sincere apologies to the official photographers of the event, and to those of you who wished to purchase my photos. I plan to pursue official routes for future events; I hope to see you there.

Your photos are fantastic and I would love to see you become an official vendor. I'm sorry some have their noses bent out of joint but your photos are excellent as is your service and business model. I will buy from you again.

About 3 (?) years ago at Octoberfest, I rode a school horse that is special to me. I wanted, very badly, to have a photo of me/ him at the show, even though it was low-key, no big deal show. The only purchase option for a print was to buy a 'package'-- my understanding was that you required an entire page of photo paper to be used for each person, so you didn't have scraps of photo paper left over. If I wanted anything printed, I had to fill the page. So, since I really wanted a photo, I went ahead and did it. Sorry, but to this day I feel like I was pressured into that sale, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I specifically remember this because I was unhappy about it and asked why this policy was in place. I was told it was to reduce waste.

Apologies for not understanding your rates, etc. But it may have something to do with the ordering area of your site returning a 404 not found error. OK, that came across more snarky than I intended. Let me try again: Jeff, I don't like to buy at shows because I suck at making decisions and I feel pressured by the other time constraints I have at the show. I always go to look at the photos at the show, but I can't decide what to purchase there unless it is just AMAZING. And usually my position isn't. However, it sucks to go to your site and not be able to easily find what the different options are. I assume you are unaware of any problems with your site, but I can not easily find the various options you have.

I am an amateur photographer (of things other than equines) and I totally get that you don't want your photos stolen. I don't want to steal your photos, and I have no problem paying for them. But I do sort of feel like I am being yelled at for something I didn't do. You have gotten a lot of support from people I respect on this board, and I truly do appreciate having photographers at shows. Therefore I'm making a very large effort to be constructive in my criticism and will continue to support you as I am able. Please take this criticism at face value.

I can only imagine how difficult it must be to consistently make a living doing something as difficult as photographing horses who are competing all over hell's half acre and requiring that people as picky, capricious, and distracted as horse people actually pay money for that service and its products!

I liked a lot of the photos and was fairly ignorant of the issues facing official photographers re: required vendor licenses, etc. The education is appreciated by me and I think I'veGot responded very professionally.

I hope the service of show photos doesn't disappear like so many of the other "perks", because even though I only very occasionally take home a ribbon from a show, I usually look to buy a photo or two as a memento. My sincere thanks to all the photo professionals who make that possible and my eternal snarling to people who blithely poach with no remorse. (accidental breaking of cryptic rules that nobody but an "insider" could understand does not count in my book--one thing I do hope photographers realize is that we non-photographer types rarely think about the finer points of copyright law)

Love the photographers, XPress Foto are always super great to deal with. I would be deeply disappointed not to have photographers there. These moments we have at the shows are very special. As for me and Gryhrs, we always buy photos. If you don't support these people they will simply stop coming.

KY HT photog

@Jumpsnake

I now understand where you are coming from. You have a case if mistaken identity.

For a few years, there was not only us, but two other smaller companies that came to those shows as official photographers. One was Butch Housman, the other VW Perry. They were the only photographers doing those shows for years, but we were asked by the show management if we could also do those shows. Butch is not doing shows any longer, and Perry do dog agility more now. Smaller areas to cover and more low key I would assume.

If memory serves, it was Butch that required you to purchase a full 8x10 sheet of images. Once you said the show and exactly what happened, it all came together.

While I understand your reluctance to make a purchase at the show, we have years of evidence that indicate that once a show is over, very few orders are placed, hence the reason why we work so hard to have images immediately for viewing and purchase at the show.

I have spent many a hours reworking my software and our workflow to make so I am able to get the images in front of the customer ASAP. Most folks appreciate the immediate gratification. I can tell that you do not. We also realize we are not able to make everyone happy. As I said earlier, we try our best.

As far as the website link errors, I do need to redo the entire website, getting ride of blind links and obsolete pages. I have redone the ordering pages based on feedback from customers thereby fixing some things, and obviously creating more problems. I am sure folks find sections of the website I have forgotten are even there.

The website is not our main focus, so that why I do not put as much effort into it as I do our at show presence.

I have tried to contact ivegotyourpicture.com to discuss the reasons why what she was doing was wrong, but she seems to have grasped the concept. That is a better response than we get sometimes when someone is confronted about it.